Global study of clinicians by Elsevier finds nurses being left out of clinical AI adoption

Launched on International Nurses Day, Elsevier's Clinician of the Future 2026 report finds progress is at risk due to uneven adoption across clinician groups, detailed in the first-ever Clinician of the Future 2026: Nurses Edition

NEW YORK, May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Elsevier's Clinician of the Future 2026 report reveals emerging gaps in AI adoption, especially for clinician-specific solutions. In particular, nurses report feeling underrepresented both in AI use and in organizational decision-making around AI.

Now in its fifth year, the global survey drew responses from 2,757 clinicians across 118 countries, including physicians and nurses.

Main Report Key Findings:

Survey respondents across geographies say they are stretched thin. While clinicians are turning to AI, implementation is falling short and some feel excluded from the process. Clinicians are not always turning to the right tools, with an over-reliance on non-clinical AI tools that lack sufficient evidence-based sources.

Nurse representation gap is stark:

Time remains the biggest constraint:

Cases are getting more complex:

AI use is often not fit for purpose:

Strong belief in AI's importance:

But barriers are slowing adoption:

Jan Herzhoff, President of Elsevier Health, said: "At a time when healthcare systems are under increasing pressure, clinicians see clear potential for AI to improve patient care and efficiency. However, realizing that potential requires more than access - it demands trusted, evidence-based tools, proper training, and inclusive implementation that supports all members of the care team."

Nurse-specific findings from Clinician of the Future 2026: Nurses Edition

In this inaugural Nurses Edition, findings show some notable differences between doctors and nurses on the topic of AI. Nurses are not utilizing AI as much as doctors, one of many findings and trends revealed in our report:

Nurse AI Usage lags significantly behind physicians:

But optimism is higher among nurses:

Inclusion shapes perception:

Amy Hall, Professor and Dean at the School of Nursing at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, said: "AI has the potential to make a real difference in how we deliver care, but there is a clear lack of AI tools designed specifically with nurses in mind. Nurses need a stronger voice in which tools are adopted to support patients and how they are implemented. When nurses aren't included in AI decisions, it's harder to integrate these technologies into everyday practice in ways that truly support patients and workflows."

Some important points doctors and nurses overwhelmingly agree on:

Elsevier's Clinician of the Future 2026 findings show clinicians are clear on what is needed. As AI becomes embedded in clinical practice, trusted evidence-based tools designed for and used by the whole care team will enable clinicians to advance patient care with confidence.

To learn more and access the full Clinician of the Future 2026 report and Nurses Edition, visit here.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a global leader in advanced information and decision support. For over a century, we have been helping advance science and healthcare to advance human progress. We support academic and corporate research communities, doctors, nurses, future healthcare professionals and educators across 170 countries in their vital work. We do this by delivering mission-critical insights and innovative solutions that combine trusted, evidence-based scientific and medical content with cutting-edge AI technologies to help impact makers achieve better outcomes. We champion inclusion and sustainability by embedding these values into our products and culture, working with the communities that we serve. The Elsevier Foundation supports research and health partnerships around the world.

Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.elsevier.com and follow us on social media @elsevierconnect.

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SOURCE Elsevier Limited